Chance at True Love
by rayanna75
Summary: I always wonder what would have happened if Ashley was honest with Scarlett the day of the barbeque instead of talking around in circles. How would things have changed? Would Scarlett have gotten over him quicker & find true love with Rhett quicker. This is my first fanfiction. I would appreciate any advice & ideas on where to take my story. I own nothing of Gone with the Wind.
1. Chapter 1

Scarlett was nervous and the only thing that she knew for certain was that she loved Ashley. She loved everything about him from the proud lift of his gold head down to his shining black boots. She knew she loved him. As she heard him say the last of his farewells her heart started pounding so loud in her ears that she couldn't think. Only if he would come in here and take her in his arms where she didn't have to say anything, maybe if she prayed it would help to come her nerves.

"Hail Mary full of grace…" began Scarlett.

"Scarlett, who are you hiding from Charles or the twins?"

He did notice how the men swarmed around her. He is such a dear with his eyes sparkling unaware of her excitement. She held out her hand and pulled him in the room. He had a puzzled look on his face wondering why she was so excited. He had never seen her eyes glow like this before with such excitement and emotion.

"What is it, a secret?"

"Yes, I love you Ashley."

"Isn't it enough that you collected every other man's heart here today?" he said in a teasing voice. "Do you want to make it unanimous? Well, you've always had my heart. You cut your teeth on it."

"Ashley please don't tease me. Don't you love me? Don't you want to marry me?"

Ashley stood there in silence thinking how he hated dealing with the harshness of life & wished that he didn't have to break her heart but he loved Melanie and not her.

"No, I don't love you Scarlett. I love Melanie."

Scarlett stood there in silence. This isn't the way it was supposed to happen. He was supposed to love her not that mealy mouthed person that can't say anything but yes or no. She isn't even pretty. How could he love someone like her?

"Scarlett please listen to me. I'm sorry if I hurt you but I never dreamt that you felt this way. I thought you knew like everyone else."

"I thought you loved me. You came and saw me. We went to parties, picnics, & we danced together. You made me think that you loved me!"

"Yes I did those things with you but it was friendship that I was offering. I never went beyond friendship and you know it."

"How could you love someone like her? She can't open her mouth except to say yes or no, and I bet she will raise a bunch of mealy mouthed brats just like her."

"Scarlett you mustn't say these things about Melanie. She is my everything. I can't imagine her not being in my life. She is my equal in every way. I dream of her and of our life together. I'm going to marry her."

Scarlett looked at him for the first time and looked back over the past year and saw the truth. He was only seeking her friendship and not her love. He never courted her like the twins or Cade did. Oh, she felt anger more at herself than at him. She was such a fool. She had made him be her knight in shining armor that day when he called after coming home from his Grand Tour in Europe. She just wanted a hole to open her up and swallow her up. She should have listened to her mother and Mammy about not letting him know how she felt. Anything would be better than this humiliation knowing that she threw herself at him and he didn't want her.

"Scarlett?"

"Leave me alone! Just go away!"

Ashley took a last look at her to make sure that she would be alright before he turned around and walked out of the library.

After he had left, she paced back in forth not knowing what she was going to do. Was the whole world laughing at her? What kind of miss did she get herself into today? Looking back she could now see in her quest for Ashley she acted like white trash. She wished she could just magically appear back at Tara and cry the whole horrid story to her mother. She knew she couldn't run because that would add fuel to the fire. What was she going to do? She needed to do something before she screamed down the house. She put her hand down and felt a small china bowl on the table. She threw it across the room before she knew what she was doing and it made a small crashing noise as it broke against the fireplace.

"Has the war started?"

Scarlett gasped in surprise when Rhett Butler rose from the couch.


	2. Chapter 2

I would like to think everyone for their reviews. I enjoyed reading them. I did update the first chapter a little bit to clean up some of the errors that I made with the grammar. I think Ashley did love Melanie but I also think he wanted Scarlett around because she was so different. He admired her spirit and how she took what life gave her. She wasn't afraid to live where it was easier for him to hide from life in his books. Sorry if this chapter is short. I hope you enjoy it. I'm trying to figure out if I want Scarlett to marry Charles or not. Should she go ahead and marry him or should she stay single? I will try to update when I can.

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"Has the war started?"

Scarlett gasped in surprise when Rhett Butler rose from the couch. Scarlett felt her checks turn red with horror that this man, who wasn't received, had overheard her conversation with Ashley.

"Sir you should have made yourself known."

"Really, I should have made myself known when it was you, Miss O'Hara, that interrupted my sleep. Besides, I enjoyed hearing that touching scene with you and Mr. Wilkes."

"Still you should have made yourself known Mr. Butler," argued Scarlett.

"Why? You were the intruder not me. I came in here to wait for Mr. Kennedy. I knew that I and my views on the South's not winning the war were not welcomed in the backyard."

"Oh! You're impossible!" said Scarlett, "Eavesdroppers…"

"Eavesdroppers hear the most interesting things and I find that you can learn a lot about a person when eavesdropping."

"I really don't care what you can learn as an eavesdropper."

Rhett smiled at the fact that she was mad and stomping her foot. He found her fascinating. She wasn't like all the other women he had come across. He had watched her all day as she was entrancing the men around her. He was able to see through her act. He knew that she was only doing it to tear Ashley Wilkes from Melanie Hamilton. He knew when he first saw her bewitching Charles Hamilton that she was no lady.

Scarlett felt uncomfortable with him staring at her. She knew that he was the only person that wasn't fooled by her act. She wonders if she could trust him to keep his mouth shut about what transpired between her and Ashley.

Rhett could read the thoughts that were running across her face and knew, "Miss O'Hara, your secret is safe with me. In fact, I would like to get to know you once you have gotten over the wooden headed Ashley Wilkes."

"Sir you are no gentleman!" cried Scarlett.

Rhett laughed, "And you are no lady Miss O'Hara. I found that ladies don't hold any charms for me. I know what they are thinking but they lack the courage to say what they are really thinking. You are different and a girl of rare spirit a very admirable spirit. A southern belle with her Irish up and I take my hat off to you."

"First you eavesdrop and now you insult me! How dare you!" yelled Scarlett.

She stormed out of the library and as she was slamming the door she could hear him laughing.


	3. Chapter 3

After Scarlett left the library she decided that she needed to get back upstairs to one of the rooms before anybody noticed that she was gone. She didn't want to get caught by Mr. Wilkes and have to come up with an excuse of why she wasn't taking a nap to get her beauty sleep like the other girls. As she was getting ready to go upstairs she heard Charles Hamilton calling her name. She turned around and saw him running up to her. He was excited about something, but she really didn't want to hear it.

She was getting ready to say something when an idea came to her. She remembers earlier that Charles confessed his love to her. Why not convince this young man that she loved him and get a proposal of marriage from him.

"Miss O'Hara, President Lincoln has called for 75,000 troops. This means war Miss O'Hara," said Charles as he was running up to her.

When he got to her he saw how white her face was. He thought that there was a wild beauty about her green eyes. They were piercing through him like he wasn't there. He should have been gentler with what he just told her. Women were so delicate. She looked upset; maybe she was afraid for him and worried that something would happen to him.

"Miss O'Hara are you okay? Do you feel faint?"

"Yes, I feel a little faint. Do you think that we could sit down somewhere where it is cool? Maybe we could go sit on the bench out front that is under the oak trees."

Charles did as she requested and escorted her out to the bench where it was cool. A nice cool breeze was blowing. He sat her gently down on the bench and sat beside her. He tried several times to say something but he couldn't with the way she was staring at him. He finally looked at the house.

"I thought I would join Wade Hampton but now I'm not so sure if I should join his regiment or go into the Atlanta Guard. Whatever I decide to do would you wait for me? I know that you may not feel the same way about me, but it would be nice to know you were here waiting for me. I love you Miss O'Hara and I want to marry you. Can you give me a sign that I may hope that you could someday feel the same way for me?"

He would do nicely. He has money and no parents that would object to our marriage. It would show Ashley that I didn't care for him and was only toying with him. It would even stop the gossip if I agreed to marry him. Everyone that has been mean to me would be jealous when I came home to visit in nice clothes and had a nice carriage.

Scarlett cast down her eyes and said demurely, "I don't want to wait Mr. Hamilton; I would be honored to marry you."

"You mean that you would marry me before I go."

"Yes, I will marry before you go."

"Oh Miss O'Hara, you have made me the happiest man alive. I love you my dear. Should I go and talk to your father now?"

"Yes Mr. Hamilton, I will stay here under the shade while you talk to Pa. It feels nice here."

As she watches Charles running around the corner of the house she realizes that she never will love him. The love that she had felt for Ashley had a little tenderness mixed in with vanity. Vanity in her charms that she could secure Ashley's love. She never thought that she wouldn't get what she wanted. She always got what she wanted until today. She feels her heart freezing up to not feel any emotion ever again. She looks at the house and it has withdrawn from her. Her dreams of becoming mistress of this house will never happen now.

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I want to think everyone for the reviews and reading my story. I have decided to have her accept Charles proposal but I think that will be as far as it will go. I'm thinking that Rhett should make an appearance in the next chapter. As I continue to write this story I will be making changes to it to make it more cohesive. I hope everyone is enjoying this story and I look forward to reading more of your reviews. I welcome them cause it will help me learn on how I can approve my story. Enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

Scarlett sat in her room at the dressing table looking with unseeing eyes at her reflection in the mirror. Her wedding is in a week and she is wondering if she should listen to her mother about delaying the wedding until her and Charles know each other better. She knows that she has stilled the county's gossiping tongue when she agreed to marry Charles but now she wonders if she should go through with it. The idea of marrying him repulses her and she can't imagine spending the rest of her life with him.

One thing that she did discover as the weeks went by was the hurt that she experienced over losing Ashley was getting better. She discovered her love was not so deep and strong that losing Ashley would have a lasting effect on her. Her heart only touched briefly by her love for Ashley would get over the loss of that love. Her love for him was more vanity and ego over her charms than tenderness. She never thought in her conquest to have Ashley's love her that she would never win Ashley's heart. She had always gotten what she and it was hard for her to accept defeat. The fact that she wouldn't accept defeat where Ashley was concerned was what had gotten her into this predicament. Scarlett realizes that the plan that she executed to steal Ashley from Melanie at the Wilkes' barbeque is what got her in this miss. Her actions alone are what she regrets.

She feels more ashamed that she did not act in the manner in which her Mother taught her. She knows that if her Mother knew what really happened that she would be disappointed in her and that is one thing that she doesn't want. She wants to make her Mother proud of her. She wants to be like her but her selfishness always gets in the way. Maybe that vile Mr. Butler was correct and that she was no lady.

"What's my lamb going to wear today?" says Mammy as she comes into Scarlett's room.

"I think that I'm going to go riding this morning Mammy."

"You can't go riding this morning. Mr. Hamilton and his sister will be over later this morning to go over last minute details about the wedding."

"Mammy, I'm not going to be gone all day. I just need to get out of the house for about an hour. I need to clear my head. I've been so busy planning my wedding that I haven't had time to myself. Please Mammy, I promise I will be back in an hour and be ready before they get here. I have plenty of time for ride after breakfast."

"Okay, but you better be back before they get here."

After breakfast Scarlett headed out on her ride. She begins to feels relaxed. She enjoys getting away from the house for a little bit because she can do her thinking without prying eyes. It's hard to keep what she is thinking especially from Mammy. It's like Mammy has a sixth sense to what her people are thinking. She never could fool Mammy for long. As she is contemplating what she is going to do, she notices a man on a horse riding toward her from a distance. He looks familiar and she is not sure where she knows him from. As he gets closer she is surprised to see that it is no other than Rhett Butler. What is she going to do now? She can't turn around he already has seen her.

"Hello Miss O'Hara, isn't this a pleasant surprise to find you out riding this morning."

"What are you doing here Mr. Butler?"

"I'm here on a matter of business. I was tying up loose ends with Mr. Kennedy concerning the cotton I bought from him. I'm planning on shipping the cotton to Charleston so I can take it to London to sell. I was on my way to see your father about buying some of his cotton. We were talking about it at the barbeque since I was going to be running cotton through the blockade for the Confederacy. I know that me showing up unexpected, but I wanted to strike while the iron was hot."

"Oh, well don't let me stop you. Good day!"

"Nothing stops me from getting what I want Miss O'Hara. I understand from Mr. Kennedy that you are getting married to Mr. Hamilton. It's strange how women can be fickle sometimes when it comes to the matters of the heart. Are you over the wooden headed Mr. Wilkes or is this a lame attempt to make him jealous?"

"Good day sir! I have no desire to talk to you about my personal life."

Scarlett takes off on her horse as fast has she can to get away from him. She doesn't understand but she feels that she is in danger of losing something if she stays there.

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I know in the last chapter that I decided to have her accept Charles proposal, but I wanted her to have second thoughts in this chapter. I also have Rhett showing up the pretense of business with her father.


	5. Chapter 5

As Rhett's horse came around the bend, he got his first glimpse of Tara surrounded by the oak and magnolia trees. He could see the awkward lines of the house but the trees gave the house a warm mellowed look like the house had always been standing there. He looked around and could tell that Mr. O'Hara loved this place because of how well kept it was.

Rhett walked up to the front door and knocked. He could hear someone hollering for someone to open the door. It seemed forever before he could hear a heavy tread of someone coming down the stairs complaining loudly, "Pork is never where you need him," coming from behind the close door. The door open and he came face to face with Mammy. He could tell from his first glance that he would need to tread lightly with her. That she wouldn't be easily fooled by his intentions.

"May I help you?" asked Mammy

"Yes," said Rhett, "Is Mr. O'Hara home? I have some business that I would like to discuss with him."

"Yes, Mr. O'Hara is home. Whom may I say is calling?"

"Rhett Butler, we meet at the Wilkes' barbeque."

"Please come in and wait in the parlor while I go see if he is available to see you Mr. Butler."

After Mammy shows him to the parlor and goes gets Scarlett's father, Rhett looks around. Rhett feels that this is a warm inviting home. He could tell that there is money but everything is understated without screaming money. He could picture Scarlett growing up in this warm home being surrounded and doted on by loving parents. He thinks to himself why he is really here. He hasn't been able to stop thinking about the green eyed vixen. Her eyes haunt him in his dreams. He knows by being here that it is foolish but for some unknown reason he feels that he has to keep her from making the worst mistake of her life.

He just happened to be in Jonesboro to finalize his deal with Mr. Kennedy when he heard that she was going to marry Charles Hamilton. He felt like something had been stolen from him when he heard the news. He just thought up this scheme at the last minute of buying Mr. O'Hara's cotton just to be able to see her. He knows that there is a good chance that Mr. O'Hara may not want to do business with him but at least it gives him a chance to see her again.

"Mr. Butler, what a surprise to find you here," said Mr. O'Hara as he walked in, "What can I do for you today?"

"Well, as you may have heard, I have bought a couple of boats and I'm going to be running the blockade for the Confederacy. I have just come from finalizing a deal with Mr. Kennedy to buy his cotton and he suggested that you may be interested in doing business with me. I would like to sell your cotton over in England. I know with the war and the blockade being set up by the North that it will make it hard to get our cotton over to England. I know all the waterways inside in out there in Charleston and I feel that I would be the best person to get the cotton over to England. I would like to do business with you if you're interested."

Gerald looks at the young man before him. He knows from the barbeque what this man's views are concerning the Confederacy. He wonders if he should do business with him or turns him away. He knows that this man is right about the fact that it will be hard for the South to fight with the industrious North but should he align himself with such a man to make a few dollars.

"Do you still believe that the Confederacy will lose?"

"Yes, I do think they will lose. Why?"

"I'm just wondering why you would go as far as blockading for the Confederacy if you feel that they are going to lose. I want to understand why you're doing it sir. I don't think it for any patriotic feelings that you have for the Confederacy or for a way of life or society that you have been thrown out of. I know that you are not received by any decent society. The question I have is this. Why should I get in business with someone that could taint my family by association and with someone that I may not be able to trust?"

"I'm doing it for my own reasons. I believe that the South will lose. There is no question about that. The North in the end will win. I'm doing it because there is money when an empire falls and this empire we have here in the South that is focused on the making money from cotton will fall. I'm planning on making money from the dying ashes of this empire that threw me out when I was young. If you think that is mercenary then so be it. You don't have to do business with me, but I warn you if you don't put your money in something else besides the Confederacy you will have nothing when this war is over. The question I have for you is, are you willing to lose it all for a way of life that is on its way out, or do you want to be able to take care of your family after this war is over?"

Gerald thinks for a moment. He admits grudgingly that what this man says is the truth. He prays that this man is wrong but somewhere deep inside in his heart he knows that the South is going to lose in the end. The South doesn't have the resources and the man power it would need to win this war. He knows what it was like leaving in Ireland with no money or land to call his own. He never wants to live like that again. He loves this land and his family. He would do anything for them even if it means to make a deal with the devil.

"Mr. Butler if I were to go into business with you I would like to be more than someone who sales you cotton. I would like to be a silent partner in this blockade business of yours."

"You want to be a silent partner. Why?"

"I understand what you're saying about the South. I hate to admit, but I believe that the South will lose also. I hope I'm wrong because I would love for us to win the war and be independent from the North but I'm a business man also. I would hate to see everything that I have worked for to be lost in this war. I want to leave something for my daughters so they can keep this land in their families for years to come."

"I think that we can come to some sort of an agreement. I would love to be able to eventually own more than two boats and hire the best captains to sell them. I think with your backing that this could come to a reality quicker. If you back me I would give you a percentage of what I take I make from each load I get safely into our harbor. I could give you 30% of what I make from the sale of the cargo I bring in."

"I would want 50% of the profit that you make Mr. Butler. If I'm going to business with you, I want to be able to benefit from this partnership especially if it were to be found out that I'm backing you. I also expect you to be on the up in up. I will not have my name connected if it were found out I was backing you and you were cheating people. I've worked with my brothers in the merchant business. You can be a shrewd when it comes to selling but you can do it without being a cheat. Those are my terms. You can accept them or walk away."

Rhett wonders if he should accept Gerald's terms. Granted he understands that Gerald doesn't want to be associated with him but he feels that he this could get him access to seeing Miss O'Hara.

"Mr. O'Hara, may I call you Gerald since we will be doing business, I will accept your offer on two conditions. I would like to continue are acquaintance on the premise that I'm buying cotton from you. This will require me to come here from time to time to see you. I would like to be seen mending my ways and what better way than do business with a man like you. I know that you are respected in this part of the country. I also know that your wife has a family that is revered down in Savannah. I feel that by me associating with you that people will see me as a man to be trusted. I will also want all of our sales from our cargoes kept in gold. I feel that this will be a better way to protect our earnings rather than put it into Confederate bonds. What do you say? I can have my lawyer or you can have your lawyer come up with a contract reflecting these conditions."

"Yes, I think we have a deal. Would you like to stay for lunch? My daughter, Scarlett, is getting married here in a week to fine man. You may remember him from the barbeque. His name is Charles Hamilton. He and his sister will be here to go over the last minute wedding details before he goes to South Caroline. He is joining Wade Hampton's legion and he would like to report in before he gets married. He is hoping that General Hampton will be able to come back for the wedding. I understand that he served with Charles' father in the Mexican War and that they were friends."

"I would love to stay for lunch."

"While we are waiting would you like a tour over the place?"

"That sounds great," said Rhett.

Rhett feels that he got over the first hurdle to being around Scarlett now the next hurdles were the servant who answered the door and Scarlett's mother. He knew that those two would be hard to win over but when did he ever back away from a challenge. He follows Gerald out to look over the plantation.


	6. Chapter 6

Scarlett sat on the porch later that afternoon reflecting on what happened that day. She was surprised to see Rhett Butler still at Tara when she got back from her ride. She bumped into her Pa and Rhett while she was coming back. It seems that her father had become rather friendly with the scoundrel. She then had to deal with Melanie and Charles when they came by. She just was very short tempered with Charles and it didn't help having Rhett watching her. Only good thing that came out of it was that she was able to convince Charles and Melanie about postponing the wedding.

"Charles, I don't think I'm ready to get married. I let myself get carried away by the war fever. I would rather wait to make sure that we really wanted to get married."

"Scarlett, you can't be serious," said Charles.

"Yes, I am serious Charles. What do we really know about each other? I'm not even sure if I want to marry you Charles. The closer we get to the wedding the more scared that I'm making a big mistake. Why can't we wait to make sure that this is what we both want and not the war fever carrying us along like it has done everyone else? My Mother even wants us to wait and thinks things through more clearly. If my Mother is saying that we need to wait, maybe she has a point and we should listen to her advice."

"If you think that is for the best, I guess we could postpone the wedding until after we win the war."

"Really, you would consider postponing our wedding just to help me make sure that this is what I want. Oh thank you Charles."

"What will I tell my sister? She was so looking forward to our wedding and you becoming her sister."

"Let me talk to her. I'm sure she would understand if I told her since it is me that wants to postpone the wedding."

Scarlett looked back on her conversation with Melanie. Scarlett explained that she wanted to get to know Charles better before getting married. She also told Melanie that she didn't want to take any attention off of her future sister-in-law's wedding. Granted Melanie was disappointed but she understood. She even invited her to come to Atlanta for a visit so they could get to know her better. While talking to Melanie, Scarlett had to admit that she did have some since and that she may not be as mealy mouthed as she thought. What struck her about Melanie was that she reminded her of her Mother. They were similar in nature and Scarlett never noticed before because she saw Melanie as her enemy where Ashley was concerned. Now that she was getting over Ashley, she could see what drew him to her. She found that she grudgingly liked her.

She was pleased that for now her wedding was postponed. She knew that she would be able to eventually break the engagement but she didn't want too much gossip going around about her. She got them to stop talking about her conduct when she got engaged to Charles. She just didn't need for them to start gossiping again about a broken engagement.

Rhett was a different matter. It seemed like the rest of the late morning and all through lunch that Rhett could tell what was going on behind her cheerful façade. She just couldn't put her finger on it but she felt that he could read her mind. She knew she wouldn't be able to fool him with her sweet southern belle act like she could everyone else.

"Penny for your thoughts Miss O'Hara," said Rhett as he came up the stairs. He had been out with Gerald all afternoon going over the rest of the plantation.

"I was just thinking what a beautiful day that we are having," said Scarlett.

"Here I was thinking that you were glad that you got out of marrying the illustrious Charles Hamilton. I think that your Father was a little disappointed, but I got the impression that your Mother was relieved that you postponed your nuptials."

"Pa just wants me to make a good marriage that's all. What Father doesn't want the best for his little girl? Besides, you have no business talking to me about my personal life."

"I believe that you're wrong where your personal life is concern. I have the impression that we are destined to become friends."

"You and I friends, that's a joke. Why would I want to be friends with someone that isn't received?"

"You would benefit being friends with me. With me, you could be yourself instead of this act that you put on for everyone else. I bet it gets tiring to pretend that you're this sweet southern belle. Do you ever get tired of leaving by society's rules? Don't you ever want to tell everyone what you really think and not care what happens if you do tell them what you think?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. For instance that scene that I witnessed in the library, I bet you were trying to figure out what would be the ladylike way of telling Mr. Wilkes that you loved him and stealing him from Miss Hamilton without looking like you were fast. Come now Miss O'Hara we established that day you were no lady. Am I to be disappointed again?"

"Mr. Butler you are a cad. I don't know why Pa would sell you his cotton to such a scoundrel."

"Your father is a smart man. He knows a good business opportunity when he sees one regardless if the man in question is a scoundrel."

Scarlett sat there and seethed. Why can't this odious man just leave her be? She was afraid if she told him what he really thought that he would tell everyone what happened that day in the library. She couldn't let it happen. She would have to be nice to him. Rhett started laughing and she looked up and saw a mischievous smile on his face.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"You are so easy to read. I will tell you this that your secret is safe with me. What would be the point of me telling what happened that day? How could it benefit me? It wouldn't benefit me at all. Besides, doing business with Mr. O'Hara has more advantages. I make some money off the cotton that I will be buying from him and I get to see his daughter. I look forward to get to know you better especially once you get over that wooden headed Mr. Wilkes."

"I hate to tell you this but I'm already over him, but that doesn't mean that I want to get to know you better."

"We will see. I must be off till the next we meet Miss O'Hara."

Scarlett watched Rhett as he was getting on his horse and taking his leave. She couldn't help find herself intrigue by this dark stranger that came into her life. There is something about him that challenges her spirit. She wonders what it would be like if she made him fall in love with her. She enjoyed the image of Rhett Butler making a fool of himself over her. She decided that she was going to make herself scarce the next time he came for a visit. What is that saying absence makes the heart grow fonder? She would make sure that she was in Atlanta the next time he came to do business with Gerald. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder if the real reason that she was going to Atlanta was to hide from him.


	7. Chapter 7

Scarlett was on her way to Atlanta a year later. She was so excited to see how the town had fared since the war started. She always felt a kinship to that city. She loved the crudeness and the brashness of the town. She never quite understood that it was because she held these traits as well. She remembers as a little girl Gerald telling her that the town was the same age. Come to find out later on that Gerald stretched the truth a little bit. The town was actually 9 years older than her but the town had changed its name to Atlanta and they were christened in the same year.

She sat there looking out the window at the passing landscape. She had come home early from her visit with her relatives there in Savannah and Charleston. She found her elderly uncles to be boring. They told her the same stories that she had heard a hundred times since her childhood. She couldn't stand Charleston and their arrogance on firing the first shot that started this stupid war. Didn't they understand if they hadn't fired the first shot someone else would have. Charles' & Melanie's aunt had written her mother asking her to come for a visit. They were lonely since Charles died and they would love to have Scarlett for a visit. Scarlett couldn't help but be grateful that she didn't marry Charles after all. If she had married him last year, she would have been wearing widows weeds.

Her mother asked her if she wanted to go visit them and Scarlett said yes. She hated it there in Clayton County. There were no parities, balls, or beaus to keep her entertained. Everyone was either busy growing crops and livestock for the army, rolling bandages, or off fighting the Yankees. She hadn't seen the Tarleton twins or any of her former beaus in a year. There were no men around her age except the commissary that came for supplies every month. They didn't hold any charm for her. She also couldn't stand watching Frank Kennedy courting her sister. She wished he would just get it over with and marry her sister. It was to painful to watch his timid courtship. She just couldn't understand what her sister saw in that old maid in britches.

She also couldn't get Rhett Butler off her mind. She couldn't understand it but she missed him. She was also mad at him. She thought that he would be around more, but she hadn't seen him in a year. She knew that he was okay because her father got updates from him every now and then. She asked her Pa why he would be sending him updates. Gerald only would tell her that he and Rhett had become friends. He said that he loved hearing about that scoundrel's adventures and near misses sneaking into the ports there in Charleston and Wilmington. She kept telling herself that she hated Rhett and didn't care if he ever came back.

Scarlett came back to the present when she felt the train lurch to a stop. She got up and had Prissy grab her things as she headed out to look for Aunt Pittypat's carriage. She looked around that may morning for Aunt Pittypat and Melanie. She couldn't find them. She was looking around for them and wondering how she was going to keep her hem and shoes from being ruined from all this mud. She saw an old grizzly haired man walking toward her. She recognized him as Uncle Peter from the description that Charles gave her from one of his letters.

"Don't step down in that mud Miss Scarlett! You're as bad as Miss Pittypat when it comes to getting her feet wet."

Scarlett remembered what Charles said about Uncle Peter. Uncle Peter was his father old valet. She knew that he had been with Charles' father when he got wounded in the Mexican war and that he took care of him. He helped raised Charles and Melanie. He took care of Aunt Pittypat when she came to live with them. He told her when it was too cold or wet to go visiting. He made sure that Charles went to Harvard when Uncle Henry wanted him to go to the University of Georgia for his law degree. He decided when Melanie was old enough to go to parties. He was the mainstay of the Hamilton household.

Uncle Peter picked Scarlett up and carried her to the carriage. Uncle Peter got in and started driving out of the depot in the direction of Peachtree Street where Pittypat lived. Scarlett actually felt excitement as she got her first glimpse of Atlanta. She wonders what the future will bring while she is visiting. Anything had to be better than being at Tara with nothing to do for fun.

* * *

I know this chapter is short. The next chapter will be longer. I promise that Rhett will be making an appearance soon.


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